Hardwood Floors (engineered, laminate, vacuum, refinish)

[aamazing75]

We are currently looking for a new home & I love the look of hardwood floors. Can anyone tell me if it is difficult to take care of them or any do's/don'ts regarding their care? Thank you!

[Keeem]

I find them easier than carpet. There are considerations, like standing water = bad, and you have to be a bit more careful with some things, like watering plants, but overall they're so much better than carpet. Cleaner, less dust, easier to care for.

There's a huge variety of flooring out there, so what to look for in that regard will depend on your tastes, needs, and budget. What to look for in a company, well... look for hardwood not engineered or laminate if you can afford it. Call A LOT of references of past jobs, ask about cleanup, finishing work, transitions (doorways, other rooms) and the condition of walls after install. How did they handle base trim around the walls? (It should be removed and reapplied over the floors when they're in.) Will the entire project be completed in a timely manner? Do they take care of haul away of old material? Is that finish toxic? (There are water borne finishes that are not). Etc, etc...

[janetvj]

I had them installed in my living room and dining room last fall and I love them. I find them to be much easier to care for than carpet, and the look is much cleaner and more stylish. The only complaint I have is that I have 2 very large dogs, 1 of which sheds a lot, and there are always big clouds of dog hair that float around that I am constantly chasing with a dustbuster. And one of my dogs had a little trouble learning how to walk on them without slipping and falling. But these are more likely dog problems and not floor problems!

[Tek_Freek]

We had them in our first house, not here, and we will have them in our next (retirement) house.

I have decided, and my wife concurs, that there will be no carpeting in our next house. Throw rugs or area rugs, maybe. No wall-to-wall.

Maintenance for us was a good vacuuming every week and a clean-and-wax once a year. Some areas got more attention than others due to foot traffic.

Overall I find carpeting more work-intensive than wood flooring.

I have come to the conclusion that I hate carpeting and don't ever want it again. Dirty, hard to maintain, expensive to clean, and only looks good right after it's vacuumed.

I cleaned the floors when the old carpet was pulled up the last time we had new carpet put in. Disgusting amount of dirt and God knows what else under there. I did the same before the carpet was initially laid (we built the house) so I know it was clean then.

[TomSD]

Just moved into a place that is all hardwood floors. It is funny listening to my cat get the hang of them. Late at night the cat will bolt off of the bed and haul butt down the hall (skitter, skitter, skitter) then try to take the corner (sllliiiiiiddddeeee) before hitting the wall at the end (*thud*).

I do love them though besides, as was mentioned above, shedding. Dust bunnies drifting down the hall are a bit of a hassle to chase down.

[texdav]

If you can afford it I would always go with hardwood floors that can be refinished. I fact only the thicker solid wood floors that have to be finished on site would i ever think about getting in the future. The prefinished may advertise a harder finish buit none are fro a lifetime really.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by TomSD

I do love them though besides, as was mentioned above, shedding. Dust bunnies drifting down the hall are a bit of a hassle to chase down.

Beats knowing that all that fur is embedded in the carpet! No vacuum can get it all out.

Our cats will actually bat around the dust bunnies made of their own fur. Probably a hint that we should get out the broom, eh?

[KittySkyfish]

I have hardwood in the downstairs and it's very easy to maintain and less smelly than carpet (what a thing to say!). Hah, the smell issue comes from aging carpets and their tendency to trap scent from dirt, oil, animals, etc.

Wood floors can be thoroughly cleaned by the owner. It's harder than heck to do it alone with a carpet. It's a royal pain to keep carpeted stairs clean, too.

Carpets hold dust mites and pet dander.

The drawback to wood is that it's not too friendly with water. If you spill something, you shouldn't have a problem if you wipe it up right away. But if you leave water standing, it can seep into the boards and darken the wood, or even lift it if you have an area flood. This happened to me in the powder room. The water hose tore loose and it flooded the room. We were super fast cleaning up the water but the boards still lifted and now the floor is bouncy.

You'll also have to put down a mat under pet bowls to prevent any moisture from spilling onto the floors.

We're planning to build a home in the next few years and our goal is to do tile in the wet areas (kitchen, baths, laundry) and wood in the dry areas.

[Beth56]

I put a protective coating over my wood floors, so I was told never to apply any wax containing agent on the floors, including Murphy's Oil Soap. The reason is that years down the road if you want to sand the floors, sometimes you can get away with top sanding and reapplication of the protective coating if no wax has been applied. But if wax has been applied, you must sand all the way down to the wood before application or else the protective coating will not stick and will bubble. Since you only have so many times you can sand down to the wood, protection is key.

Now if you only use wax on your floors to polish them, then the above is a moot point. I have friends who wax only and their floors are beautiful, but they aren't as hard on their floors as we are. Dogs tend to scratch ours up with their nails.

I use a solution of vinegar and water to clean the floors. The mop must be completely wrung out so it is only slightly damp. Any water left behind must be dried up immediately. They are very shiny, pretty and clean.

Wood floors are so much healthier in a house. You can always add beautiful area rugs.

[Beth56]

Originally Posted by KittySkyfish

We're planning to build a home in the next few years and our goal is to do tile in the wet areas (kitchen, baths, laundry) and wood in the dry areas.

I love the look of tile. I agree with using it in the bath and laundry areas, but not so sure about the kitchen. Anything that falls on it breaks and it's so hard it can cause your legs and feet to ache if you stand on it too long. I don't have tile in my kitchen, but this is what my friends say about it that do. They wish they didn't do it. Something to think about.